Chapter 143: The original story started

-3 years later.

Only three noble duchies in the vast empire, one was praised for having the strongest power among the duchies.

The Duke of Domulit was as busy as any other day.

The master of this place, the Duke of Domulit, loved to be ascetic and clean.

Employees of this place had to fasten their buttons to the end, and always wear clean clothes.

Although it was inconvenient, no one dared to disobey because he did not spare any expense for maid and servant clothes.

Veronica, a maid who has been here for three years, was also one of them.

"Ugh... it's heavy. Heavy."

While she was muttering while looking at the decorations around her, the colleague next to her hushed and cautioned her.

'Alright. Alright.'

It usually was a job that required quiet and solemnity, but it wasn't as tight as it is today.

Veronica looked at the decorations around. They are in the process of a ceremony. It is to see if there is anything distracting in the middle.

Because today was none other than the day of the funeral.

The deceased was the Duke of Domulit.

No, he was exactly the previous Duke of Domulit. He was known for spending a quiet time recuperating in the back room after Chaser Louve Domulit, the young master who inherited the title two years ago, became Duke.

He was an old man who was more famous for his evil deeds, and had repeated countless evil deeds and vicious atrocities from his youth.

Even so, the fact that there are so many mourners proves the power of the young current duke, not the dead old duke.

"Our duke became the youngest duke. There is no one who received an official title at such a young age as the duke."

"Oh, why not? He, why that red rose..."

"Ugh, hush! Be quiet."

As the grand funeral was over, there was a little bit of space among the employees.

Veronica watched as she and her colleague chatted as they gathered the list handed to them

by the butler.

The two left the ceremony and headed towards the back of the mansion. The other building's courtyard hallway was silent.

"If you don't be so careful with your mouth, you will disappear quietly."

Her colleague had seen her just a moment ago, so she clicked a tongue at Veronica. That was correct.

Hearing those words, Veronica recalled a sudden memory. When she came here three years ago, she was careless.

There was a time when, to be precise, she would say that her eyes were careless.

<I've never seen you before.>

At that time, she was very young and a clumsy maid.

So, when she saw the first beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life, instead of taking care of her expression, she was rude and stared at the woman.

Looking at the woman's curly pink hair, small face with all the features under it, and the purple eyes blinking indifferently, there seemed to be no one who wouldn't take a moment's time.

But the woman was the master Veronica was supposed to serve.

As she never took her eyes off for the second time and the moment she looked at the woman's ankles, she was rude again once more.

No one wouldn't be surprised to see the chains.

She was dizzy just thinking about that moment.

<Oh, my ankle?>

She can't help but took off her gaze to the woman's face that was grinning as she rolled her eyes.

<It's interesting, right.>

Even if she goes back, it will be difficult. The lady caught Veronica's gaze faster than Veronica, and she readily forgive Veronica.

If she hadn't, Veronica wouldn't have been in this position three years later.

Thinking about it, she was indeed a strange lady.

The lady, who had returned from the prison one day, was indifferent to the world, she was indifferent to everything, and like flowing water, she paid no attention to anything.

Is she a pessimistic person?

It may be right that she is indifferent. All she has by her side is a strange baby animal who she doesn't know if it's a cat or not, and her fiancé who occasionally visits her.

Most of the time, she would sit in the garden and pass her time idly.

Everyone in this mansion knew she had lost her smile as of 3 years ago. She hadn't changed much.

She didn't always smile well in the first place. She was like that even before going to the prison.

But for some reason, it was caught in Veronica's mind.

The lady was not a heartless person.

<Let's do it once.>

It's going to be a lot of trouble.

The way she smiled as she held up her index finger that day was the same.

"Oh, Lady."

Veronica quickly raised her head at her colleague's words. The lady really was standing in front of her.

Iana Rose Domulit.

She was like the most precious jewel in this mansion.

She wore a black dress, staring blankly into the garden next to the hallway.

It must be because of that thinness and the black veil that creates a calm and pitiful atmosphere.

In fact, her gaze was indifferent.

"Greetings, lady."

"Ah."

Iana turned her head. Her expression was no different from before.

"Hi."

She waved her hand politely.

As it was during the funeral, Iana also wore mourning clothes, but she did not go to the central building where the funeral is currently held.

She did not go due to the orders of her brother, Chaser.

It was a fact that any employee of the mansion knew that this place was nothing more than a gigantic cage in which she was confined.

All of a sudden, her colleague was not walking in the first place. Her colleague was flustered by her lady.

She was the one who feared that she would disappear without a trace as she talked.

Veronica is also afraid that her neck will be gone, but....

".....Are you okay?"

The purple eyes returned to Veronica. Iana had a puzzled face. Then, ah, she touched her veil and smiled a little.

"I'm alright."

Veronica knew. When Iana saw the mansion's master, Chaser, shackling her, she smiled like that.

"It's my father, but... I don't have a lot of feelings."

Even when Chaser appeared with blood on him, she smiled like that.

"Thank you."

Sometimes Veronica had doubts.

Lady, are you really okay?

***

I could feel the maid's gaze staring at me. She had neatly pulled up hair, a calm face, and a familiar face.

She was one of the maids I saw often.

If there's anything unusual, it's that she sometimes hesitates and then says something to me like this, or at one point, secretly handed me snacks.

She was memorable.

"What are you carrying with you? A list?"

But as she has a purpose for standing here today, she quickly nodded.

That list was her goal for today, if I was right.

"Ah, yes. This is the list of attendees at the Schirmela conference."

Schirmela Conference. The country was so wide that it was difficult to contain the power of the local nobility, and to overcome this, the imperial family held conferences rotating in large cities every year.

Not just anyone was allowed to attend, only high-ranking nobles could participate.

A Duke like Chaser, for example.

And I heard that there will be questions about who will attend the funeral.

The list will contain the names of those who are obligated to attend the funeral and those who do not.

If someone were to take the list, this would be the only way, and my predictions came true.

When I asked if I could take a quick look, the maid hesitated, and she pushed out the list.

"Well, lady, are you going out?"

"Huh? Right."

I nodded indifferently.

"Maybe it's difficult because of this."

Clink.

The sound of chains still resounded pleasantly. The maid bit her mouth tightly.

I looked down the list, found the name I was looking for, and only checked it before putting it out again.

"Thank you."

There was no way to stop the smile from flowing out.

"You can go."

The maid hesitated to look at me, and she carefully opened her mouth.

"La, lady..."

"Huh?"

Even after 3 years, her tone of voice went back and forth. It was a habit that was not easily broken.

"My mother used to say I have a habit of laughing when I'm not okay.'"

"....What?"

For some reason, the maid's eyes seemed to pass by with a brief regret. Did I see it wrong?

But without further ado, she said goodbye and walked away. As if afraid I would catch her.

Left behind, I tilted my head. What?

"What. Am I too fat?"

-Human, ... You don't seem to know what you look like, Nyan.

After three years, Pudding, who had already learned to make a mature voice, responded.

Pudding, who was quietly in my arms, tapped me with its tail and jumped off. It was quite big. Now, if I hold it, it was heavy.

- I have come to realize that this body is human. Nyang.

"What? Creepy."

I casually ignored it and turned my back. It made a fuss.

- What, why are you ignoring me, Nyan! Human! Human!

Waoonng, Nyaongg!

It said it was definitely a snow leopard, but what it does is no different from that of a cat. Is it because they are the same feline species?

"Noisy."

I looked it up, and when a cat is 3 years old, it is like a young man who is over 20 years old in human age.

I ignored the nagging Pudding, who is now a young man, with an unbalanced name of Pudding.

Three years have passed.

Not much has changed as time has passed. Just my hair length? Oh, and it's time to socialize. There must have been something that allowed me to go outside.

According to the laws of this country, Lords and Ladies over the age of 20 must attend a banquet held by the imperial family at least once.

And at this time, I have to attend the debutante banquet.

I was 22 years old, so I had postponed it for two years.

When was that, a few months later?

I looked up at the sky.

The season was spring. Summer is coming soon.

It's been 3 years... In other words, it's quite a while since the original story started properly.

At least it's time for Ricdorian to get out of prison.

I was reminded of a list I saw a while ago.

'Ricdorian von Hernim.'

I smiled as if I could see it. The original story started well.